Sunday Replay

With football season upon us, I thought a little replay action from Sunday’s sermon would be appropriate. I want to emphasize the final three implications I mentioned at the end of the sermon. I wanted to highlight again how hope encourages evangelism, holiness, and suffering well. As was said Sunday, Biblical hope is the concrete certainty that the Lord will accomplish His purposes.

Evangelism

Hope: We are assured that the gospel will successfully be proclaimed to all nations (Matt. 24:14), and on the last day there will be people from every nation around the throne (Rev. 7:9-10).

The Result: This hope gives us confidence that the task will be completed and the church will be successful in fulfilling the Great Commission. We should be highly motivated by this assurance to engage in evangelism.

Holiness

Hope: The Lord has called Christians to live lives of holiness (Phil. 1:27, Eph. 4:1, 1 Pet. 1:15-16). He has also guaranteed that on the last day He will bring us to perfect glorification, completing the work He began in us (Phil. 1:6).

The Result: This hope should give us confidence to “work out what God is working in us with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12-13). We are to pursue holiness with the assurance that the Lord will form us fully into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29).

Suffering

Hope: Although we suffer, we are sure that the Lord is using all things for our good and will one day bring everything to its rightful conclusion in Christ (Rom. 8:28-29). Christ will return setting all wrongs right and making all things new, and on that day sin, sorrow, and death will be removed forever (Rev. 20:1-5).

The Result: This hope gives us confidence that although all is not right in the present, one day it will be. We are able to endure suffering with the confidence that there is an “eternal weight of glory” ahead that makes our present suffering seem “light and momentary” (2 Cor. 4:17).